Legacy of the Sky, part 1: Dawn Sky
by Diego Zeyon
Summary: Where did Alouette come from? How did she meet Ciel? What was her life like before she left Neo Arcadia? Within are the stories of the beginning of Alouette's life. On official hiatus due to data loss.
1. Nameless

Author's Note: In a departure from my regular topic, which, I admit, has been relatively untouched lately, I give you the first chapter in the first part of a prospective duo of stories based around MegaMan Zero and Mega Man ZX. It actually took me awhile to get this down, and it's my first real foray into _Mega Man_ fanfiction, so it may seem a bit different from my _Pokémon_ ones (or not, I don't know). If so, that's only because it's a total shift in style and is something I will eventually overcome.

So. We all know how Alouette looks up to and respects Ciel as a big sister, if not more than that, but how did this relationship begin? Where did the two meet? What was Alouette like before Ciel formed the Resistence and broke off from Neo Arcadia, and later still what was her job within the Resistence while Zero was off saving the day? That's mainly what this story is about. I hope you enjoy the first chapter of the first "book" of the _Legacy of the Sky_ duo.

Chapter names will signify the narrator.

Three plus signs (+ + +) indicate a timelapse.

_Italics _denote thoughts.

**_

* * *

_**_**Part I - Dawn Sky**_

**Chapter 1 - Nameless**

My first thought was that I was cold.

As the pod opened around me, hissing out its compressed gasses, all of my systems came fully active, and I looked around with all the wonder of a newborn as the glass shifted back and I subconsciously took my first step in the world.

I shivered, not understanding what it was I saw. There really was nothing that could describe my first real look at the world.

I was looking out at--and standing amidst--the ruins of a building complex that looked as if it had been torn apart by a viscious monster, then set aflame. There were scorch marks at irregular intervals along the floor and walls, and great patches of the cieling were missing. My mouth closed again as I stared, uncomprehending.

_What happened here?_

I shivered again.

I began to walk, trying to find something--_anything_--that wasn't destroyed. I sensed a great hollow space beneath my feet--obviously I was not on the ground floor. I passed great rends in the metal walls, rends that were letting in horrid drafts. It was winter outside--or close to it. I continued to walk aimlessly, lost, hearing no sounds other than the thudding of my booted feet on the floor and the gusts of wind.

A horrible thought occured to me then, and its suddenness and force caused me to stop dead. I had known the season. But how? What _were _seasons? How was I faced with nothing but an endless sorrow if all twelve minutes, fourteen-and-a-half seconds of my existence had shown me nothing but...?

In short, how did I know what I knew?

What did I _know_?

What was _knowledge?_

Somehow, all of it was wrong--I had never known anything else, and yet this sensation of _knowing_ things without cause was frightening and terribly enfeebling. I collapsed to the floor, clutching at my head and shivering, now from both the cold and fear of myself.

A moment later I had another thing to fear.

A humming erupted behind me, and my cold, methodical, mechanical mind assured me that it was a 2202 Hangar-model beamsabre that vibrated inches away from the back of my head. I froze, gasping.

The first spoken words I ever heard, in a clear, harsh tone, were "Who are you?"

A lighter voice, female, and with a kind of vibrant sonic "glow" that told me instantly the speaker was not a Reploid, spoke a second after, "Sage, don't hurt her!"

"She wasn't here when we came in, Doctor," said a third voice, also female, but undoubtedly Reploid. "I would have known."

"She could be a threat," said the first voice.

"Sage!" barked the second, sounding exasparated. "Your specialty is scanning Reploids. Tell me, is she designed for combat?"

There was a pause. The one called Sage, almost grudgingly, said, "No."

"Then deactivate your weapon! Can't you see she's scared out of her wits?"

"Like a newborn..." said the third voice.

I shivered.

"Doctor," said a fourth, a terribly mechanical and emotionless voice. "I believe this was the Reploid girl contained in the one unbroken pod."

"The systems were all dead," began the first, but the Doctor overrode him.

"We turned the generator back on fifteen minutes ago, Sage. Perhaps her pod regained power at the same time."

I heard the Sage's weapon hum slightly at it was moved. "She could be unstable. She is a threat to you, Doctor Ciel, and my duty as a general of Neo Arcadia is to protect humans from any percieved threats."

"Harpuia! Stop!" cried the first voice. I heard the Hangar hum in motion again. "Override! Tau Zeta Phi! Stand down, Harpuia!"

The humming returned to normal as the blade idled, then died out altogether. "As you wish, Doctor Ciel."

My eyes were shut tight and I was shaking, still waiting for the blow that would end my life so soon after it began, but it did not come. I heard footsteps walk around in front of me, and something crouched down to my level.

"Hey..." There was a light touch upon my chin. I started at this first sensation of touch, but there was no force behind it; the hand moved toward my cheek, stroking gently, and I opened my eyes. The human female was in front of me, her kind blue eyes radiating concern for me. I swallowed, then shivered again as a draft passed by.

"Oh, you poor thing, you must be freezing!" she gasped quietly, and took off her own pink jacket and laid it over my shoulders. I began to feel slightly warmer. I tried to say something, express some kind of thanks, but all I managed to do was tear up and sob. Very gently Ciel placed her arms around me and pulled me to her. "There... You'll be alright now, I promise."

I cried against her.

"You're in a lab that got raided by Mavericks. It looks like you're the only thing they left untouched."

_Maverick. Noun/Adjective. Archaicly, any Reploid or Mechanniloid that carries a virus which causes it to attack humans or other Reploids senselessly. The virus has since vanished, but because of the free-willed nature of Reploids any one that chooses to attack humans or otherwise become irrationally violent the term is still used today._

I shook my head, trying to ignore the awful knowledge.

After a few moments I calmed down, and stood up with Ciel, looking away from her embarrassedly.

"My name is Ciel," said said she after a moment. "Do you have a name?"

I opened my mouth to respond and realized I had nothing to say. I looked up at her and blinked.

"Can you talk?" Ciel asked again, more slowly.

I blinked again, needlessly, then, embarrassed, looked away from her again. Hesitantly, I opened my mouth again. "I can talk," I said quietly. "I know lots of things, and I don't even know why... But... I don't know my name..."

Ciel's expression was one of extreme sympathy. "It looks like maybe you were in the middle of a diagnostic when we woke you up or the power went out, one of the two. I'm sorry..."

"Doctor," said the fourth voice, "we should leave. There is a functioning transerver two rooms to the north."

"Very good, Phantom," said Ciel. "I'll be bringing her with me--" Here she gestured at me-- "so you go ahead to the transerver and I'll meet you there."

"Very well," said Phantom.

"Leviathan, you too."

"Yes, Doctor," said the third voice.

Two Reploids dashed past me, one in purple and silver armor and nearly invisible eyes, and the other covered in blue armor with a large halberd attached to her back.

"...Why?" I breathed finally.

"Why?" Ciel stroked my hair. "Well, I can't just leave you here, can I? You're the only one here, the entire complex has been gutted... You'd be awfully lonely. And you don't even know your own name."

"Name..." I said quietly, looking down. I stood back up, as did Ciel.

"Maybe you'll remember in time?"

I said nothing.

Ciel reached out and grabbed one of my hands--or rather, grabbed my hand through the sleeve of her jacket, absurdly large upon my too-small body, and I followed the first human I'd ever met as we left the building where I'd spent my first moments of existence.


	2. Ciel

**Chapter 2 - Ciel**

The Reploid girl clung to me as the transerver deactivated, looking around in wonder at the small Trans chamber we were in. We stepped off of the server and a moment later it reactivated and Harpuia appeared. Levaiathan and Phantom had already left the room and were on their way to report to X, as I'd instructed them to do. Harpuia, however, remained with me, still, to my annoyance, not trusting the innocent, frightened girl that stayed so close to me.

"I can scan a Reploid's systems," the green-armored General-Sage had said before I had activated the server. "But I'm not designed to pick up on anything like programming bugs or even virii."

Worrying wasn't usually his style--but then it was true that he'd never had dealt with something like this girl. For all he knew, it could have been clinging to Ciel, waiting for a chance to harm her... Or (Ciel took advantage of having created him, and often predicted his own thoughts) perhaps it was true that the girl meant no harm and had simply lost a portion of her inherent data when the rogue Pantheon had raided that laboratory.

"Where...?" breathed the Reploid girl now.

"We're in Neo Arcadia, the last remaining human colony in the country. I work here and live here, and maybe you can, too," I added cheerfully.

Though she was in the guise of a small child, her mind was obviously a little wiser, as she picked up on my choice of words. "Maybe...?"

Harpuia, stepping off the transerver now, spoke, and the girl cringed, apparently still afraid of him. I couldn't blame her--this was the Reploid who'd nearly killed her barely a quarter of an hour after she'd first come to "life"! "You may be percieved as a threat and..." he paused, obviously wising up to the girl's form and trying to think of the gentlest way to say this. "You may be...shut off."

"Noo!" cried the girl, throwing her arms around me.

I stroked her hair soothingly--and, I admit, because it was cute. "You don't need to worry. I'll make sure that doesn't happen."

"You cannot promise--" started Harpuia, but I glared at him and he subsided. "...Very well."

There was a chirping in my ear, followed by the voice of Allaya, X's secretary. "Doctor Ciel."

"Yes?" I responded.

"Master X requests your presence _immediately, _along with General-Sage Harpuia and your...charge."

I sighed. This was predictable--X was jumpy as usual. I designed him practically to the letter of the original X's designs, plus a few minor additions, and yet this X seemed nothing like the X that had first ruled Neo Arcadia before even my mother was born. I'd seen holotapes of him in session, and he was much wiser and calmer than this new "copy" X. Even after seven years, he still didn't seem to fit the role.

But then, I was only a thirteen-year-old science prodigy. What did I know or care for politics?

I sighed. "Very well. Come along," I added gently, trying to pry the girl loose from around my midsection.

She began to shiver again. "I...don't want to be..."

"You won't," I said again, as vehemently as I could without startling her. I placed a kiss on top of her head. "I promise nothing will happen to you."

"...Okay..."

"Shall I come too, Doctor?" said Harpuia quietly.

"Yes. X wants to talk to all of us."

"I _did _tell you," said the Sage, walking to the door. He glanced at me as if to say "Don't get either of your hopes up," and then he was through the door and the girl and I were alone. Gently I pulled her along with me and we followed Harpuia into Sector X's main hallway which was, surprisingly, almost deserted.

To the left were windows, and from them there was a startling view of Neo Arcadia in the twilight of evening. Just over the tips of the buildings in the next Sector over were rosy clouds on top of a not-quite-navy sky; the buildings themselves were all lit up in various shades, depending on the color of the autoshade in each room. The Reploid girl switched sides (she had originally stuck by my right hand) and was staring out at them.

"This is... Neo Arcadia...?"

"Yep. The only real civilization for miles." I did not add that the utopia covered several miles in and of itself; there was something about the girl that suggested fragility, and she had already had enough shocks today without the added detail of Arcadia's size.

"...Pretty," she concluded. She then stumbled, but let go of my hand before she went too far. I felt a flush of heat rise to my cheeks--she was still wearing my jacket, which was far too big for her.

"Here," I said quickly, helping her back to her feet. "I'll take that back, okay?" She nodded, eyes downcast, and relinquished my coat.

She did not offer any more insight as we walked, and I did not feel like it would have been right for me to intrude upon her thoughts. Pretty soon we came upon a door guarded by several Pantheon Elite. Their optical sensors all fixed on the girl, and she did her best to hide behind me. I was beginning to get annoyed by the level of attention this girl was receiving--did it not occur to anyone else that all she wanted to do was avoid attention? She was barely half an hour old and didn't know anything about the current world.

And now X would make a big deal about it, of course. I wouldn't be surprised if the events of the meeting about to take place were recorded and then broadcasted to every television unit by the next morning. Especially if things went sour.

"Now," I said quietly to the girl as the Pantheon deliberated between themselves, "X--the blue one probably sitting on the big chair--is probably going to ask you to talk. If he does, you'll have to be respectful. Call him 'sir,' or 'Master X.'" Saying so made my tongue slightly sour. I did not like the idea of owing allegiance to my own creation--but nor did X expect it. He'd let me get away with nearly every informality possible, were I in the mood.

The girl nodded once at my explanation, but her eyes were glued to the floor and she was clasping my hand so tightly it was beginning to hurt. She said nothing.

The door, marked with an elaborate X, of course, slid open slowly, and far too dramatically for my taste. We walked in, flanked by two of the Pantheon Elite. The room was unlit, but as we stepped forward the lights turned on, and, several yards in front of us, X was revealed.

He, along with the Four Generals, were arranged on a dais raised slightly off of the rest of the floor. X was in an elaborate throne of sorts, which was of course designed in the shape of an X (This Reploid's ego knew no bounds!); to his right, my left, stood Harpuia, and to his left, Leviathan. Fefnir, the only one of the Generals who had not accompanied me to the ruins of the old Gamma Sector lab, stood on the Fairy's side, and Phantom the Sage's. There was a totally opaque wall behind them, but it was not normally so: that wall, along with the exterior wall of every chamber in the capital building, was designed to turn translucent or even totally transparent on command. Obviously, X wanted us to feel enclosed.

This was going to go very badly. Probably for him, if he got me worked up.

"Doctor Ciel," said X. "Phantom and Harpuia have already given me their reports. I require yours."

"Yes...sir," I said, for the girl's benefit. "I took three of the more stable-minded Generals with me to the ruins of the laboratory in the Old Gamma Sector. The place had obviously been raided by Mavericks, and very nearly everything was in pieces. There was, however, one pod that seemed more or less intact, which contained a Reploid of a female appearence and young age. The pod's systems seemed inactive, and even when we restored temporary power to it with Harpuia's help the pod's systems seemed locked in a diagnostic of some sort. So we left it alone.

"We made a sweep of the building, come across and restoring power to the generator to gain access to any locked doors. There were only a few spare Energy Crystals lying about, and we were on our way to the transerver chamber when we came across... Well, we came across the girl who'd been in the production pod."

X nodded thoughtfully. "This is the girl?"

"Yes," I responded.

"Step forward."

Gently, I prodded the girl forward, but she seemed loath to let go of me. She seemed stymied and overwhelmed by X's presence (I admit, I may have overdone his charisma a bit.). So I shuffled forward with her, and she did her best to look up at X. She succeeded only for half a moment, then looked down again.

"What is your name?" barked X.

The girl flinched. "I... don't know, s-s-sir..."

"Don't know...?" I began to offer an explanation, but X fluttered a hand in my direction and I said nothing. "Production number?"

"I d-don't know that either... Um... Master X..."

He didn't seem surprised by her reverence. In fact, he failed to react so spectacularly I was further irritated. It was as if he _expected _it!

"What is seven to the sixty-seventh power multiplied by negative 1.142857 repeating?"

She rattled off the answer instantly, before I'd even comprehended the question. X nodded. "What color is the gem upon my head?"

"R-red, s-sir."

"What is the definition of axiomatic?"

"Self-evident."

X nodded again. "That was an easy one, but it passes nevertheless. All of your pseudoneurological systems are functioning perfectly, and yet there seems to be a gap in your memory..."

"X," I said quickly. "The fault lies with us--"

"When you were tampering with her pod before restoring full power, yes, I figured as much." X pursed his lips. "You realize this could be a compromise of security?"

"I thought you'd say that," I said dryly.

"It is at the very least a breach in the protocols that _have been established by this Council for the protection of humans such as yourselves!?_" X shouted the last few words. The girl lept back in fright.

"How can it be a violation if I myself--a _human_--am the one who did it?"

"You are in a position of power in Neo Arcadia. A somewhat _startling_ position of power, it seems, since with the proper overrides you have total control over me," said X, his eyes boring into me.

"I would never--"

"You are therefore the most powerful human _in _the utopia, one which all the others--several million--look up to. What kind of example are you setting by bringing in such a potential threat?"

"How can she be a threat!?" I countered, quite angry by this point. "Look at her! Never mind how smart she is, when it all comes down to it she looks like and has the mentality of at most a seven year old. Harpuia himself has verified she is not a combat model, and if she was programmed to attack humans she had several minutes to do so in between the time we arrived back in Arcadia and we got here to have this...conversation."

X leaned back in his throne, steepling his fingers. "Nevertheless," he said quite calmly, as though his temper--and mine--had never been aroused. "Nevertheless, Doctor, it doesn't hurt to be cautious. We will be conducting a full scan of this girl--"

"You will _not!_" I countered again as the Reploid hid behind me again. "It will be a cursory system examination and _I _will do it myself."

X's expression did not change, but the stream of data flowing behind his eyes had picked up speed in obvious anger. Three of the Four Generals were statues: Fefnir was twitching, his teeth gritted in anger. Amazingly he'd remained silent.

X spoke one word, nearly inaudibly. "Why?"

"Look at her," I said again, just as quietly. "She's frightened of you, apparently the most benevolent Reploid in the history of the planet. She at least seems to trust me--I'm the one she's hiding behind."

X's lips pursed. "It is as you say, Miss Ciel. Very well. This examination will be conducted first thing tomorrow in Floor 542's infirmary lab. I, along with Harpuia, will attend. Until then, this girl is your responsibility. If she is found to carry malicious code she will be immediately retired; if she is not... Further discussion will be had. That is all."

He settled back in his chair and closed his eyes. Thus did the hearing end.

My quarters were easily the most spacious of any human in Arcadia, but I ignored most of it and headed straight for my bedroom. The girl still tagged along behind, shaking with fear.

I sat on the bed and sighed, then hugged the girl tightly again. She did not stop shaking.

"Shh," I whispered, kissing her beautifully-made hair again. "You'll be fine."

"I don't want to... die... I'm not...bad..."

"I know you aren't, dear. I know. Shh, now..."

"You require sleep... Yes?" she asked after a moment. "Humans need to sleep..." She forced herself away from me and sat upon the cushioned chair along the wall. "I will not disturb your sleep..."

"You don't have to go over there," I said immediately. "Here. Up on the bed."

She looked at me hesitantly. "Are you sure...? I am somewhat denser than what the bed was probably designed for..."

"You'll be fine," I promised. It was true. The bed had been designed to handle any weight, and that included light- to medium-weight Reploids. "C'mon. It'll be cold otherwise."

Still somewhat hesitant, the girl stood up and crossed over to the other side of the bed, then, just as slowly, got in and under the covers. I showered and prepared myself for bed, and when I finally got under the covers with her she snuggled up to me instantly. I thought for a moment I saw a smile on her face as she said "It's... warm."

I closed my eyes, smiling, and was nearly sleeping when a flash of wit caught me by surprise and I opened my eyes again. "I know what to call you."

"What?" she asked quietly.

"Alouette. It means lark, a type of bird that became extinct a few decades ago. But lark can also mean a joke, especially an irritating one. Like what's been worked up over you."

"Oh..." She looked uncertain for a moment, then said "Alouette... It sounds nice... Can that...be my name?"

"Sure, if that's what you want."

"I do..."

"Okay then." I smiled and stroked her hair one more time. "Good night... Alouette."

"Good night... Ciel..." she responded, and then, to all appearences, fell asleep.

I smiled again. Maybe she was more like a child than I'd thought.

_A lark,_ I thought as I drifted off. _Like some stupid joke._ _And it'll all be resolved tomorrow. I'll make sure of it._

* * *

_A/N: Alright, so maybe I changed Ciel's personality a little... But I don't want to end up doing a story with two characters that have more or less the same personality._

_Until next time..._


	3. Alouette

And now for the third chapter, a return to Alouette's point of view.**

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**

**Chapter 3 - Alouette**

The moment my systems came back from standby I was hit by such a wave of nervousness that I cringed and brought the covers to my face, moaning.

"Alouette?" came Ciel's sleepy-sounding voice from behind me. "You awake?"

"Yes, Miss Ciel."

She let out something like a huff. "Where'd the 'Miss' come from all of a sudden?"

I started, rolling over in the bed and looking at her sheepishly. "I'm sorry... I just thought... Master X called you that, so..."

Ciel was sideways to me: I was still lying down in the bed, covers up to my chin, while she was standing beside me, still in her pajamas. Her hair was ruffled, as though she'd just gotten out of bed herself, but her eyes looked a little more awake.

She yawned reflectively. "Well... If you want to call me that, go ahead, though I have to admit I don't like being called 'Miss' or 'Doctor' all the time."

I blushed. "I'm sorry, Ciel."

"It's nothing. Here, sit up for me, will you?"

I obliged. She set about brushing my hair gently, and, when she'd finished, looked me over once and nodded.

"One thing missing!"

"...Missing?" I asked slowly.

"You're still in the outfit we found you in. I guess there's nothing wrong with it, but I think you'll look better in this." So saying, she reached behind her and produced from the back of one of the white-upholstered, soft-looking chairs a pink dress, which she gave to me with a smile.

"I wore that when I was eight, then decided I didn't like dresses. It's still in good shape, and it looks just about your size, too."

I stared down at the article of clothing in my hands, thinking. _Miss Ciel sure is being nice..._ But I thought back to my time wandering alone in the ruins of my "birthplace," and was glad for the young woman's attentions.

(+ + +)

"There!" said Ciel, tapping a switch upon the wall. A mirror appeared, and for the first time in my life I got a good look at myself.

The girl looking back out of the mirror wore a somewhat morose expression, and her deep, blue eyes were sad. Around her face her hair flowed, long and blonde and shiny, the bangs stopping just short of the tops of her eyes. She was wearing Ciel's sleeveless dress, which reached down to just above her ankles; the black "outer" layer on her legs was only slightly visible between the hem of the dress and her brownish boots. Her arms, also coated in the black fabric, seemed to be completely unnassociated with her pink-covered shoulders.

"So what do you think?" asked Ciel.

I stared for a long moment. The Alouette in the mirror stared back, her eyes still dull and sad.

"...Do I really look that sad...?"

"Hey," said Ciel again, hugging me gently around my shoulders. "I don't blame you. You were kinda tossed ungraciously into the world." I saw in the mirror how her eyes looked off to the side guiltily at the last few words. "I think you're dealing with it quite well, if I may say so."

I continued to stare at my reflection.

"Alouette..." Ciel said quietly after a moment more, "we'd better get going. We need to get this test out of the way to appease X..."

In a rush, the wave of worry and fear that I had mostly forgotten came back. The Alouette in the mirror flinched.

"It'll be easy, Alouette, I promise. All I have to do is do a basic scan of your memory and production matrices, if there's anything left. I've done it before."

My mind... laid out on a monitor for all to see?

_If that's what it takes..._

"I don't want to die," I said again, my voice quavering.

"You _aren't_ going to die, Alouette!" said Ciel forcefully. She bent down in front of me. "You aren't carrying malicious code, are you?"

"Um...?"

"Protocols buried deep in your mind that tell you to harm humans or some such thing?"

"No!" I shouted. Why would I want to destroy the only person who'd ever shown me kindness? It was unthinkable!

"Then why are you worried?" soothed Ciel, stroking my hair again.

I looked away from her. "M...Master X," I admitted.

Ciel was silent for a moment. Then, to my surprise, she sighed. "I know."

(+ + +)

The hallways of the Neo Arcadian building we were in were cast in a different light this morning. Whereas last night the setting sun and artificial light had given everything an unhealthy coloration, at this time of day the lighting was completely natural: the sun's light was shining into the window from over the tops of the buildings outside. My internal clock read 8:47.

As we stepped out of Ciel's chambers, a voice erupted from nowhere into my ear. "Report to 547's infirmary. Master X is waiting."

I clutched at my earpiece, teeth grit. Ciel touched my shoulder reassuringly. "It's just the internal communications system. All communication devices in this building are turned to a specific set of frequencies. I usually have my own personal one, but since you're in my care the system reset your frequency to match mine."

"A ... Another system?" I did not like the idea of a _building_ being able to control my functions.

"Don't worry, Alouette," said Ciel, as if reading my thoughts. "The Reploid who designed the system knew what he was doing--it can only change your listening frequency, nothing more."

"An easy task," came a voice suddenly from behind us. Ciel turned around and I tried to make myself unseen behind her.

"Cerveau!" said Ciel.

The Reploid grinned. He had a blue-violet shade of hair and a mostly nondescript jawline, but his eyes were completely hidden behind a red visor. My meticulous eyesight picked up hints of displays and data readouts.

"Of course, I learned a large portion of what I know from you, Dr. Ciel," Cerveau said gallantly, bowing slightly. "Oh, and this is the girl Reploid you brought back last night?"

"Yes," responded Ciel. "Have rumors spread that far already...?"

"Rumors? Pshaw," scoffed Cerveau, tapping the side of his visor conspirationally. "You know I get news fast around here." He paused. "And currently, Master X is waiting for you, along with someone else."

"Harpuia?" asked Ciel. Cerveau grinned, but didn't reply. "Well, we'll see when we get there. Come, Alouette."

"O-okay..." I said, following her. As I went, I felt Cerveau keep his hidden eyes on me, and I hurried to keep up with Ciel.

(+ + +)

As it turned out, the Reploid waiting alongside Master X, as Ciel and I entered the lab, was not the green-clad Sage Harpuia. He was, in fact, in the shape of a boy, with short blond hair and blue eyes covered by glasses. He was wearing a black robe, but it was open in the front as if the boy didn't care too much for appearences. Underneath I caught a glimpse of a blue-and-white Reploid bodysuit with a label stating (as far as I could see before it disappeared behind the robe) "C. Ina--", but I couldn't pay any more attention as Master X cleared his throat and my attention was instantly riveted on him.

"Good morning," he said, not unkindly. A smile even graced his lips. I got the feeling he felt better away from his throne.

"Good morning, Master X," responded Ciel. I did the same, very quietly. She also nodded toward the boy, and I glanced at him again.

He smiled. "Childre Inarabitta of the Eight Gentle Judges. Pleased to meet you." His voice was high and clear, and yet maintained a gentleness and innocence that matched his image.

"Have you recalled anything?" asked X.

"No..." I said quietly. "But... My name... Um." I looked away from him and found my gaze caught and held by Childre. "Miss Ciel decided to call me Alouette, sir."

"Alouette?" X tried. "A pretty name."

"X," said Ciel suddenly. "What happened to your bluster and temper last night? Where's Harpuia?"

"General-Sage Harpuia is indisposed," said Childre. "An uprising has occured in the slums of Sector Beta, and the Mavericks have shown considerable force. The Rekku Army was dispatched a short while ago, and of course General-Sage Harpuia went with it."

"Do you think I'm coldhearted enough to have him in here anyway?" said X, sounding politely insulted. "...Admittedly, I was initially considering Schilt or Tretista, but I was in a bad mood last night. All the Maverick uprisings lately..."

He was facing away from Ciel at the time, and therefore missed the angry expression that crossed her face for an instant and then vanished. Childre may have noticed, but he did not comment.

"Either way," he continued, tapping at a floating monitor gently. "You insisted that you yourself perform the test. Master Inarabitta and I are here only as observers." He tapped his right arm at this point, I gathered, unconsciously. I had a feeling there was an implied next sentence, but X didn't continue.

"Right," said Ciel. "Alouette, on the bed, please."

I complied. Ciel tapped my right earpiece, and the sound input from that side ceased. I started, frightened, but Ciel placed a reassuring hand on my arm and I relaxed. "It's okay," she explained, her voice bouncing off of the wall near my left earpiece. "This is the easiest way to get to your internal cerebral matrices. This might sting a little bit..."

Something snapped into my muted right ear and, unbidden, data from a secondary system flowed into my mind. It did not speak in words--but nor did I truly think in words. Numbers were the language with which I was built and which I understood best. However, for the curious, the data went something like this:

_System Scan: Moderate_

_Accessing unit data_

_Unit given name: r1!(8&3 ERROR: CORRUPT DATA - - - Data modification: Unit given name: Alouette_

_Unit production number: U*r#!db90!{()? ERROR: CORRUPT DATA - - - Unresolved_

_Classification: Non-Combat; Child; Female; Cyber-Elf Compatible_

_Begin in-depth system scan. . ._

From here it collapsed into unintelligible Mechanilloid drone. I tuned it out. I found myself immobilized, but there was an anesthetic code coming from the scanning Mechanilloid, and I was temporarily relieved of my fear.

"...show her about, if you don't mind?" Childre was asking.

"I don't know," said Ciel doubtfully. "So far she hasn't shown a whole lot of like towards anyone but me..."

"Give her a chance, Doctor," said Master X. "She'll never grow if you just let her cower behind you."

"Yeah," agreed Childre, sounding here more like the child he appeared to be rather than the judge he obviously was.

"I'll ask her," said Ciel.

"Why not do so now?" said Childe. "She's awake."

"Hm?" Ciel entered my field of vision. "You're still awake, Alouette? Most Reploids go into standby when the scan starts..."

I stared back up at her, still immobilized.

"Oh," said Childre a moment later. "I get it. A self-security system. She must be designed for Cyber Elves."

I made a conscious thought that drowned out the monotony of the Mechanilloid's hexadecimal drone. _What are Cyber Elves?_

"Huh?" came Childre's voice, sounding surprised. "Alouette, did you just ask...?"

_Yes._

"Well, whaddaya know! She must be some kind of prototype Navigator."

"Why...?" asked Ciel, bending out of my sight.

"She's asking questions _through _the Scanner without interrupting the scan itself. That's novel." Childre paused. "To answer your question, Alouette, Cyber Elves are digital entities with conscious souls like Reploids, except they're composed entirely of energy, right? So they tend to be short-lived-- once that energy's used up, _poof!_"

Unconsciously, I felt tears coming to my eyes at this information. They died? After serving a single purpose?

"Kinda brutal, I know," said Childre quietly. "But there's no way around it. Now, there's a special circuit design implemented into recent Reploid models that helps conduct Elven energy better than the regular structure. It's almost like they're designed to let you become an Elf yourself, but it doesn't quite work that way. Once you become an Elf, your physical body goes kaput and vanishes, so there's a safety lock to prevent Cyber-coversion unless it's absolutely necessary. On the plus side, this lock also helps the closed "Elf" circuit function better, and odds are somewhere deep in the corrupted side of your memory banks you'll have all this data recorded anyway, since you're designed that way.

"Everything except your conscious memory banks seems to be corrupted, but it's not deleted--it's still there, able to be accessed, albeit in a fragmented manner. You're designed to store and take care of Cyber Elves."

. . .

_Scan complete._

"The self-security system I mentioned earlier is part of that "Elf" circuit. It makes it impossible for you to go into standby if you're in any way frightened, alarmed, or in danger. Cyber Elves can't function if their controller is unconscious."

The Mechanilloid's jack was removed from my ear, and with a click my earpiece slid back into place and my hearing was restored. I sat up and faced the others, but my eyes were on Master X: silent and frowning slightly he regarded the monitor of the Mechanilloid. Ciel had stopped breathing. Childre, on the other hand, was still gaining his unnecessary "breath" back from his long-winded explanation.

"...Very well," said X finally. "I don't like the fact that all of her pre-activation data is corrupted, but nothing can be done about it. Besides, Caretaker Reploids are still pretty rare. We need all of them we can get." His lips pursed. "Alouette, you are hereby acquitted of all charges and assumptions, spoken and implied, and are now a free Reploid citizen of Neo Arcadia."

Ciel sighed with relief. Tears came to my eyes again, but this time I was crying for happiness.

"Hey, Alouette," said Childre after I'd extricated myself from Ciel (who had hugged me tightly as I began to cry). "How about a tour of the city?"

"From you...?" I asked.

"Sure! It'll be fun." Childre bounced on the tips of his feet excitedly. "It's been _ages_ since there's been a Reploid around here anywhere near my personality's age!"

"Um..." I looked at Ciel.

"It's your choice, Alouette," she said.

"Please?" asked Childre, staring at me with pitieous eyes. Unbidden the idea of a canine popped into my head, but I did not understand the metaphor at that point.

"...Um. Okay," I said. He had been right--I couldn't get anywhere if I stayed behind with Ciel. And she was a doctor, too, which meant she was probably pretty busy most of the time. Childre, on the other hand... Judge or not, he looked like the kind of person who would reach out a caring hand to a sick person and offer to take them to a hospital even though he was already late for a trial. There was in his eyes the same pure honesty that had let me trust Ciel. I trusted him, too.

"All right!" said Childre, rushing for the door. "Come on, there's loads to see!"

I took one more glance at Ciel, who nodded invitingly, a smile on her face. I nodded back.

Then I followed after Childre.

* * *

A/N: Some of this I think may be a little rougher than I'd like, but since most of it was written at about ten o'clock at night (which is late, since I'm usually sleeping by then). On the whole, though, not too bad, I suppose.

A few notes on the Eight Gentle Judges, insofar as it matters for this story:  
Except for Childre Inarabitta, Cubit Foxtar, Glacier le Cactank and Tretista Kelvarian, the Judges will be referred to by a single name (Devilbat/Hellbat Schilt is just "Schilt," Deathtanz Mantisk is just "Mantisk," etc.)  
Their physical descriptions don't match the humanoid forms seen in Zero 3. They won't. Personally I'd be freaked out if a pale boy in white robes with red eyes offered me a tour of a utopia; and besides, I've always been under the impression that aside from modifying their minds, Weil also modified their humanoid bodies to be more imposing.

Until next time.


	4. C Inarabitta & Alouette

Underlined Names in chapters that have more than one narrator, like this, signify which of the characters is narrating.

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Alouette / Childre Inarabitta**

Childre

"Come on, there's loads to see!" I said, excited, passing through the door and nearly running into a Human medic as he passed by, engrossed in his notes. Alouette followed at a slower pace, waiting for the medic to pass by before stepping into the hallway. Her blue eyes went left and right nervously, but other than that she seemed alright. I kept moving.

"Um..." said Alouette as we entered a lift. I keyed in "235," the transerver floor, and unconsciously followed it with my Judge code that would prevent the lift stopping for anyone else. I looked at her, and she continued, "I was wondering.... What should I call you? You're a judge, and..."

"Hey, don't sweat it!" I said as the lift began to drop rapidly. "Just call me Childre."

"Are you sure?" she asked nervously.

I rolled my eyes. She was far too cautious for her own good. Maybe I could get her to open up a little, if I tried. "Yeah, s'okay. If it weren't for protocols I'd even have the judged call me Childre, but no, it's always 'Your Honor,' or 'Master Childre.' Gets to you after awhile, you know?" I shrugged. "Anyway, we're heading for the transerver floor, since you can get to all the Sectors from there."

"Wasn't there one up on the floor of Master X's chamber?"

"Huh? Oh, that one's really just a reciever. There aren't any destinations programmed into it. The ones on 235 are divided by Sector, and thence by type--you get all the malls in one row, all the residentials on the other, and so on."

Alouette nodded slightly. "How many Sectors are there?"

I made a show of counting on my fingers. I didn't need to, of course, but it was a human habit and I wanted to try it out. "There're twenty-seven major Sectors based on the Rumin alphabet, with X being the extra one. This building by itself is Sector X-2, the government center. Sector X-1 is a business center. Each of these, except for X-2 is divided up into several smaller subsectors with deceptively long code numbers, like Z/392812, but there are really only about five subsectors per Sector. Then there are the slum Sectors, Phi, Tau, Epsilon, and Omicron, buried within Sectors A, S, R, and Z, respectively. On the outskirts of the utopia are the Old Grekkan Sectors Alpha, Gamma, Sigma, and Omega, the original cities that united 150 years ago to form Neo Arcadia."

"You know a lot..." said Alouette. I detected what would have passed for jealousy to anyone else, but was really more like a genuine longing. Alouette wasn't corrupt enough to understand the concept of jealousy.

"You think _I _know a lot?" I chuckled. "Don't ask Judge Biblio anything, or you'll get your ear circuits talked off."

"...Um," began Alouette again, but the lift stopped and she paused to compensate for the sudden rush of gravity. The lift door opened, and I walked out. She followed.

"Master Inarabitta!" said the Operator on duty as soon as he saw me. "Where to today?"

"Headed to C-sub-three," I responded.

"Shopping? Yourself?" But the Operator noticed Alouette. "Who's this?"

"Her name's Alouette. Dr. Ciel found her the other day in the ruins of a lab in Old Gamma. She doesn't remember anything, so I'm giving her a tour."

"Oh?" said the Operator, smiling. "Well, have fun, Miss Alouette. And, ah, a good day to you, Master Inarabitta."

"Childre!" I insisted, but the man ignored me. Chuckling, I headed to the left, toward the C doors.

Alouette

I didn't get to ask my question until we had rematerialized on the other end of the C-3 transerver's circuit. Even then, I was somewhat hesitant to ask another question--I was afraid that if I asked too much Childre would begin to get annoyed.

I opened my mouth to ask Childre what had been bugging me, but he politely guided me off of the transerver before I realized what he'd been doing, to make room for a blue-clad Reploid with an impatient expression on her face.

"Stay close, huh?" he said as we headed for the door. "Sector C's the Commerce Sector." He paused as if for a joke, but I missed it. "Uh, anyway, I mean to say, there'll be lots of people here. Don't want you to get lost."

"Um... Alright," I agreed, and remained as close as I could within politeness as we passed through the door.

This was a good decision on my part, as Childre's statement was proved absolutely true. Reploids and Humans of all descriptions suddenly surrounded me on every side, bustling and chattering. I even saw a few Mechanilloids skittering on the walls, some holding objects while others were obviously message 'loids, with messages advertising different objects. The noise, to me, was deafening. I noticed Childre tap his own earpieces gently, as though he too was irritated with the noise. My theory toward his name, which wouldn't be proved until I had a chance to ask him, became stronger.

"This way," he mouthed to me after a moment, and cut through the crowd off to the left. I paused, uncertain how to deal with such a flow of bodies, but then I saw something that overrode all my caution.

A small, white sphere of light seemed to float by in front of me, then passed through the crowd as if it wasn't there and went in the same direction Childre had. Something clicked in my head. _Cyber Elf._ I was suddenly consumed by a desire to follow it and find out more about it, and before I knew it I was on the other side of the fierce, chattering river of people, my eyes fixed on the Elf. I had completely forgotten Childre--and this was the worst mistake I could have made at that precise moment.

Childre

"And this," I said, bouncing along to another display case, "is the newest model E-Tank, useful for..." I broke off, finally noticing the abrubt silence behind me. I turned. Half the people in the store were staring at me uneasily, obviously surprised that one of the Judges had come to Sector C by himself. But more important than that, there was no Alouette.

_Mettool!_ I cursed to myself. Where had she gone? If only I hadn't been so _excited_ to show her all this stuff!

I gave a slightly stressed grin to the clientele, and then spun on my heels, trying to find Alouette. There wasn't a sign of her--the only unusual energy signiature I picked up was that of a Cyber Elf, which--

...Cyber Elf?

"No..." I murmurred. "It wouldn't be that simple." But it was the bext explanation I could come up with--Alouette _was _a Caretaker, after all, and the idea of a lone Cyber Elf may have reactivated some of her programming.

But why did it have to be _here,_ in the biggest store in the subsector? The Elf could be anywhere! I started to run toward the nearest department, which happened to be Elf Care, but only managed to take two steps before there was a collective gasp behind me and the sound of a handgun firing. A burning energy pellet smashed into my shoulder and I was catapulted to the ground.

I wrenched myself over onto my back and tried to sit up, coming face-to-face with a frightened-looking Reploid with one eye. In his hand he held an archaic beamsabre and was frantically trying to find the on switch. I took advantage of his clumsiness and lashed up with my leg into his chest.

We may be called the Eight _Gentle _Judges, but when it comes down to it, we're designed for combat.

The Maverick went flying, tumbling head over heels in the air and smacking the ground with a terrible metal-on-stone crashing. I leapt to my feet and concentrated, detaching myself from myself...

And then there wasn't the boy Childre, but the combat-ready Ice Rabbit Inarabitta.

He leapt forward and landed on the Maverick's chest as it tried to get back up. "Boo," he said, his ice "breath" freezing the air between his muzzle and the Maverick's face.

The Maverick screamed. Inarabitta jumped up and then came back down, and then the Maverick died.

But Inarabitta soon found out that it hadn't been alone.

"Death to the tyrants!" screamed a voice from behind him. He spun. There was another Maverick, this one with the handgun that had obviously hit Childre. Inarabitta snarled, and leapt into the air, coming down straight in front of the Maverick. His ears twitched. The Maverick fell to the floor in pieces.

Then all hell broke loose, as it turned out that there were at least a dozen more Mavericks within twelve feet of him, who all pulled out various weapons and either fired them or charged blindly toward him. Inarabitta jumped out of the circle, flinging his icicle-ears at the ground. The shrapnel would doubtless incapacitate a few.

For a moment Inarabitta felt a surge of misgiving, and a thought flitted through his head. _What if I hit Alouette?_

_Alouette..._

Inarabitta lost his focus, and shimmered out of being.

I collapsed to the floor, exhausted, as half a dozen of the Mavericks--the survivors of my attack--surrounded me, their weapons ready. I gritted my teeth defiantly, but was unable to move--I had reverted too soon, and my circuitry was under lockdown until my combat generators shut down.

Somewhere in all this mess Alouette was lost, probably hurt. It was my fault--I shouldn't have come by myself... All these Mavericks.

The Maverick in the middle, a Human woman, stared dispassionately at me, snarled "Die, rabbit freak!" and fired.

* * *

What? A good cliffhanger never hurt anyone...

Note that the pronoun difference between Childre and Inarabitta is intentional. If you really need it spelled out, it'll be explained in a later chapter.


End file.
